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(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 1. G. L FORTIER.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

No. 468,440. Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

(No Model.) 5 sheets-sheet 2. G. L. PORTIER.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

No. 468,440. Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3. G. L. PORTIER.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

No. 468,440. Patented Feb, 9, 1892.

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Gl/Womwega" (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4. O. L. FORTIER. AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

No. 468,440. Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets--Sheet 5.

O. L. FORTIER.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

No. 468,440. Patented Feb. 9, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

CHARLES L. FORTIER, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE KNOWLES, JR, or SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,440, dated February 9, 1892.

Application filed March 29, 1889. Selial No. 305,231. (No model.)

To all whom it may OOH/(387771.

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. FORTIER, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of Wisconsin, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Sprinkler Systems; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention is of a kindred nature to to that described in an application filed by me and bearing even date herewith and numbered 305,230, in which application I show and describe the sprinklers, sprinkler-pipe, and service-pipe, with a valve between the I 5 two pipes, an expansion-chamber having a movable wall, and a stern connecting the valve and movable wall, all of which is specilically claimed in said other application in combination with other elements not shown in this specification.

My invention relates to automatic sprinkler systems involving the use of air and elect-ricity combined or separately, and will be fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram showing my system in one of its forms; and Fig. 2 is a detail, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a partly-sectional elevation of a modification; Fig. 4:, another modification. Fig. 5 is a de- 0 tailto'f modification, and Fig. 6 is a diagram of a further modification. Figs. '7 and 8 are detail sectional views of valves employed in my invention.

Ais a pipe that is always open to one source of water-supply-Azhe hydrant, forinstanceand B is a pipe that leads from a tank or reservoir B. The pipe A is normally closed by a valve a and pipe B by a valve '1). The section 0 of pipe between valves (4 and b is nor- 0 mally empty. The stem I) of each of the valves (1. and b is formed with a lug a, and one end of a lever D is slipped onto the stem 0' and fits loosely thereon, but is formed with a lug a that when lever D falls to about a horizon 4 5 tal position willstrike lug a and turn the stem Z1, and thus open the valve. Each of the levers D is formed or provided witha head D on its outer end that aids it in its descent, and one corner of this weight is beveled to receive a like beveled end of a trigger E, the other end of which is pivoted to a standard E, that projects up from pipe C or other support. This standard also supports a spider c, the arms of which support the rim of an expansion-chamber F. A plate (Z, from the un- 5 5 der side of which a stem d projects down through the standard, is held up against the under side of the expansion-chamber by a spring 6, that surrounds the stem (1, its lower end bearing on the hub of the spider, and the lower end of stem (7. is pivoted to trigger E. A pipe G leads from expansion-chamber l to a valve-chamber G or G out of each of which two pipes fand f lead, one f to the open air and the other into pipe O through pipe g, and from an air-pump II bya pipe 9'. These chambers G and G each contain an electro-magnet 2', the armaturet" of which is pivoted to the sides of the chambers atj. On its lower end armature i carries two valves or stoppers i Normally the valve or stopper 2' isheld against the mouth of pipe f by a spring i but when magnet t is energized it overcomes the force of the spring 1'" and causes valve or stopper t to leave pipe f, and causes valve or stopper i to close pipe f, thus allowing the chamber F, which is normally expanded by air from pump II, to collapse as the air escapes from it through pipes Gandf, and also permitting the spring e to lift its stem (1, and with it So the trigger E, that supports weight D. After the armature t" has been attracted to magnet 6, its lower end is locked against the end of pipe f by a drop 7c, which is drawn down on the wedge-shaped portion of the armature'by a spring 7.1, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2.

The apparatus just described is substantially duplicated in each system, and the mag nets i of the two chambers are connected by wires L L L with a battery L and with a spring on, that lies in the pathof a thermo stat L, and sprinklers N, that depend from a pipe M, that in turn lead from pipe G, are operated each by a thermostat in case of a rise of temperature, first making contact with 5 the spring m, which is insulated from the pipes to send in an alarm by completing cir cuit from the battery through the piping and magnets to ground.

When desirable, one electro-magnet and valve-chamber only may be used for dropping both levers D, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, and in case the valve-chamber G "s omitted the pipes G G will be joined directly to each other, as will be the wires L L.

In the modification, Fig. 3, I use a pistonvalve P for closing a pipe A at its junction with pipe 0, the stem of which valve passes out through a stuffing-box p, where it is concaved to receive one end of a link P, the other end of which receives a set-screwp, which, actingthrough' the link, locks the valve tightly in its seat. Just above the link P is located a cylinder P in which a piston l? works, and the lower end of the stem of this piston is bent at right angles under thelink P, so that when the piston rises its stem will lift the link from between the stem of valve P and the'set-screw to permit the pressure in pipe A to open the valve and allow the water from pipe A to enter pipe 0. The piston P is raised by the pressure of air from a pump II, which air is admitted to it and exhausted from just as the air is admitted to and exhausted from expansionchamber F, or the piston P may be operated by either air or water, as shown in Fig. 3, in which G is a valve-chamber, such as before described, which is connected by a pipe g with the air-pump and another pipe g with the empty pipe-section O, and q is an expansion-chamber that is connected with pipe g by a pipe 9 This chamber is supported by a spider q and a head (1 having a stem 1 that projects through the base of the spider into a valve-chamber Q, andis held out against one wall of expansion-chamber by a spring q. The end of stem (1 that projects into chamber Q is formed or provided with two lugs r '1', which between them loosely embrace a lever R, the lower end of which is pivoted to the valve-chamber, and just beneath the pivot of lever B a rocking bar R is pivoted. One arm of the bar R overhangs a port R and the other arm a port R while the third arm R depends from its center and is connected by a spring R with the extreme upper end of lever B, so that when the chamber q is expanded the upper end of lever will be thrown so far back of its pivotal center that it will cause the rock-bar to close port R and when the chamber q is collapsed, the spring 1 will draw the upper end of lever B so far forward that the change in the direction of the draft of spring R will cause the rock-bar to open port R and closeport R The port R leads to the open air, while port R leads from the air-pump II by pipe h and from the pipe A by a pipe h. Anotherport R leads through a pipe R to the cylinder P beneath its piston.

The modifications in Figs. 4 and 5 show my device in use with a closed circuit. The valvechamber G is constructed and connected just as the valve-chamber G is in Fig. 2, except that the position of magnet t'is changed so as to cause the armature to normally close pipe f by the attraction of the magnet instead of by the spring 1. The contact-spring m of post m projects up against its under side and normally makes contact with it, and this post is connected by a wire L with the magnet t, making a circuit, as in Fig. 1, through the magnet to battery, thus energizing the magnet and causing its armature to close valve 1' and hold it closed until a rise of temperature causes the thermostat to lift the spring m out of contact with post m, when the magnet will be de-energized and the armature-lever will be drawn away from pipe f and onto f by spring i In the modification shown in Fig. 5 a piston-valve P is used as well as a link P and set-screw p but a lever D is substituted for the stempf piston P and this lever is normall y supported by a trigger F. thatis controlled by an expansion-chamber F The operation of my device is as follows: Taking my device as shown in Fig. 1, the pipes A and B contain water under pressure. The pipes O and M are empty, except that they contain air under pressure. The-sprinklers M depend upon the pipes M, and each of the sprinklers contains a valve that is opened by the thermostat as it expands up against a toggle-dog M under the influence of heat. The pressure of air in the pipes, acting 011 the expansion chambers F, causes them to hold the triggers E in position to support the valvelevers D. Now suppose a fire occurs, a thermostat L expanding will make contact with wire m and make circuit that energizes magnets 1;. These attracting their armatures cause them to open pipes f and close f, thus shutting off the air from pipe 0 and at the sametime allowing the springs e to collapse expansionchamber F and lift the triggers E, so as to permit the levers D to drop and open the valves, when the water will enter pipes O and M and thus get to the sprinklers, which have been opened by the thermostat, and flood the room.

In the modification in Fig. 3 when the weighted levers are not used the operation is as follows: Upon the energizing of magnet the port f is opened and f closed. This allows chamber q to collapse and causes its stem (1 to operate rock-bar R, which closes R and opens R allowing air from pump it to pass through chamber Q and operate piston P to open valve P, or, instead of air, water may be admitted from pipe A through It to chamber Q.

In Fig. 6 the chamber G has no port f and the air from pipe 9' gets to pipe G through a pipe g and this pipe supplies chamber Q. A valve 9 is placed in pipe 9 which valve is hung to its seat at its top and is inclined, as shown in Fig. 7, so as to permit air to flow freely from chamber q through it; but it is also perforated to permita retarded back ward flow of air through it. A valve 9 is also placed in pipe h to prevent a backward flow of air from reservoir in pipe h.

This device has about the same operation as that in Fig. 3, and in all of the modifications the sprinklers are capable of operation by either electricity or air or water pressure, for as soon as a single sprinkler is opened by a thermostat the escape of air through it will permit the expansion-chambers to collapse and thus open the valves to let water into pipes (land M.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a sprinkler system, of a valve interposed between the main and sprinkler pipes, an expansionehamber and connections between the movable wall thereof and thevalve-stem, and an intermediate valvechamber tapping the connection between the fluid-supply and sprinkler-pipes and having one portleading to the open air and another to the expansion-chamber,with a swinging valve, a thermostatic sprinkler, and connections between said sprinkler and valve for operating the latter through the action of the thermostat, as set forth.

2. The combination, in a sprinkler system, of a valve interposed between the main and sprinkler pipes, a 'stop for securing said valve in its closed posit-ion, and an expansionchamber and connections between its movable wall and said stop, a valve-chamber interposed in the connection between said expansion-chamber and its fluid-supply and having an exhaust-port, a double valve adapted for alternately closing the port that leads from the fluid-supply to the valve-chamber and opening the exhaust-port, and vice versa, thermostatic sprinklers and an intermediate expansion-chamber connected therewith, and connections between the movable wall of the last-named eXpansion-enamberand the double valve for operating the said valve through the action of the sprinklers, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a sprinkler system, of a valve interposed between the main and sprinkler pipes, its lever and a trigger for supporting it to keep the valve closed when the chamber is expanded, a valve-chamber arranged between the expansion-chamber and fluidsnpply, a double valve arranged in said valve-chamber for controlling the supply and exhaust of fluid in the expansion-chamber, and an electro-magnet and thermostat in circuit for operating the double valve to release the air from the expansion-chamber, as set forth.

4. The combination, in a sprinkler system, of a valve and its stem, an expansion-chamber, a stop connected with the latter for controlling the valve, a valve-chamber interposed between the expansion-chamber and the fluidsupply and having a port leading to the outer air, valves arranged therein for controlling the admission of air to or from the valveohamber, an expansion-chamber and connections between its movable wall and the lastnamed valves, and an electric valve interposed between the eXpansion-chamber, its iiuidsupply, and sprinkler-pipe, as set forth.

5. The combination, in a sprinkler system, of a valve for controlling the supply of water to the sprinklers, a stop for securing said valve in its closed position, and an expansionchamber the movable wall of which is connected with said stop, a valve-chamberinterposed between the sprinklenpipe and fluidsupply, an intermediate expan'sion-cl1amber, a double valve arranged in the valve-chamber, and connections between the movable wall of the expansion-chamber and the double valve, a port leading from the fluid-supply into the valve-chamber and another from the outside, and still another port, and connections from that to the first-named expansionchamber, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I I have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Vis cousin, in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. FORTIER.

lVitnesses S. S. STOUT, WILLIAM KLUG. 

